Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I Love You, Tomorrow! You're Only A Day Away!!

The History...

Before she moved out, Hannah unequivocally had the most beautiful room in the house.  When she went to college, we made the decision to let the boys have their own rooms, which necessitated moving Emma into Hannah's room.  This poses some obvious challenges, but the peace and privacy it gave each of the boys made it a great decision.

My Bad....

In a rash of heightened emotion, I made the sweeping decision that we should completely dismantle Hannah's room and radically transform it into a new space.  It had nothing to do with wanting a new room for Emma, but rather everything to do with wanting Hannah's old room to look entirely different, because I was worried being in there would make me miss her way to much.

Big Sudden Movements....

We stripped Hannah's room bare of art work, window treatments, knick knacks, and even some of her furniture.  (I'm using "we" because the Buzzard was coerced.)  Some of her things went into storage and the rest were given away.  (Impulsive?  Me?)  She was home for all the change.  I wanted her to have a say in what went where, so all the decisions were hers.  She was actually in support of this idea in the beginning because the idea of her 3 year old sister living in her room and touching her things wasn't terribly appealing.  (Particular?  Her?)

The very night we returned from getting Hannah settled at college, Buzzard and the boys went into her room and rearranged all the furniture for me.  I didn't think I could handle seeing Hannah's room looking like Hannah's room without Hannah in it.  

Time To Think A Rational Thought...

It didn't take long for regret to settle over me like a cloud.  The room looked really.....naked.  Not cozy or welcoming at all.  And I was completely and utterly surprised that a huge vision involving significant change that was made and executed entirely spontaneously failed to work out right.  Because acting first and thinking later is my favorite M.O., and my rather extensive past history chronicling why this doesn't work out well for me never seems to come to mind at appropriate times.

Or ever, really.

Waiting Is My Favorite Pastime....

So I settled comfortably into a puddle of indecision and paralyzing quandaries over how to recover from my decorating deficiencies.  We muddled through Thanksgiving and Christmas.  Both of those visits were equally chaotic, and neither girl spent any meaningful amount of time in the room, allowing me the freedom to live in a constant state of agony while questioning schemes and styles.

AND THIS (FINALLY) BRINGS US TO THE PRESENT.  I know you surely wondered if we'd ever arrive, and if you are still reading I applaud your sense of commitment.  Hannah is coming home!  For Spring Break!  Tomorrow!!  So I want to surprise her.



The Goal....

To create a girls' room!  One that caters to a nineteen year old and a four year old equally.  Apparently, the word "impossible" holds little meaning to me in the world of home decor.  

The Challenges....

*  A shoestring budget.
*  A four year old by my side every step of the way, offering more help than a tornado.
*  A not too little girl-ish look since Hannah will still be spending time here in summers.
*  Something that will transition well as Emma gets older.
*  Something that fits Hannah's highly opinionated well defined tastes, which are vintage/eclectic.
*  A few small changes (due to time and budget restraints) that will have a BIG impact.
*  A budget that is really more like half a shoestring.

What I've Managed To Mess Up So Far....

Yesterday I scooted around town in haste, using every second of approximately a thimbleful of free time.  Remarkably, two of the three stores where I both patroned and purchased did not pan out for me. Me, who sadly did not measure a cotton pickin thing before dashing out the door, checkbook in hand.  So, tonight I get to revisit those two stores for returns and also stop at Target, where I have invested all my hopes and dreams in finding the perfect lamp for under $20.  Also, in somewhat-related-but-not-really news....I polished off the very last of my favorite seasonal coffee this morning.  I'm now in a flavored coffee holding pattern until winter rolls around again.  It's not a particularly convenient day to be operating on a caffeine deficiency, let alone run out of my favorite anything.  So, I will be auditioning the available Dunkin' Donut coffee selections during my stint at Target.  I hold little hope that there could ever be a rightful match for the mighty Vanilla Nut.


The Race Is ON....

Two days A day and a half, a hammer and nails, a little crafting.....and a big hope that a little effort will have a big impact on my little girls.









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